Some convenience stores in Japan will stop operating for 24/7

The three major convenience store chains in Japan: 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart announced that they will stop some of their 24-hour operations.

The first announcement was made by Lawson, stating that 118 stores are not longer operating for 24/7 starting from November 1, 2019.
Lawson also announced that around 100 stores will not operate on New Year’s Day in 2020.

7-Eleven and Family Mart also announced that they’ve started cutting back on their operating hours at some stores.

Reasons to end the 24/7 services

Reasons to end the 24/7 services are labor shortage and decline in sales.
Since only few people can work for late shifts, most convenience stores are struggling to open around the clock these days.
There is also a decline in sales made after midnight for these last few years, so opening these stores for 24/7 would cost even more.
If these continue for a long time, all Japanese convenience stores might have to stop their 24/7 services completely!

If you’ll visit Japan in the future, make sure to check the operating hours of the nearest convenience store from your accommodation, so you can buy enough food and drinks to fill your tummy until the next morning!